


The Good Little Boy

by Super_Scene_It



Category: Fantastic Four (Comicverse), Marvel (Comics)
Genre: Gen, no romantic relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-05
Updated: 2014-06-05
Packaged: 2018-02-03 13:32:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1746443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Super_Scene_It/pseuds/Super_Scene_It
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Once upon a time, Franklin was a good little boy.<br/>And once upon a time, Uncle Johnny was a good man.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Good Little Boy

The alarm blaring throughout the Baxter Building awakens Franklin from his slumber.

Something bad has happened. And when something bad happens, Mommy and Daddy have always told him to stay in his room until they could come and get him.

And so he waits. And waits. And waits. But the only one who shows up at his doorway is Val.

“C'mon, Franklin,” she stood by his door. “Lets go check it out,” Valeria calls out to him as she runs down the hall.

“Val wait--” he slides out from underneath the covers and chases after her.

When he calls out to her a second time, she stops and turns around, blonde locks hanging in her face. “Oh, come on. Don't be such a baby, Franklin,” she teases.

"Alright. Fine.” He agrees, tip toeing behind her.

They hide behind a wall, looking out into their living room which looks nothing like their living room. The tables and chairs, the couch, everything was everywhere.

And at the center of it all was Uncle Johnny. His flames burning so hot, the furniture was melting.

“Look it's Uncle Johnny, Val!” Franklin shook her shoulder from behind. “Uncle Johnny's back!”

Franklin continues to shake her but Val says nothing.

 

“Reed, get the kids out of here! I don't know how long I can hold him!” Mommy yelled and that's when Daddy wrapped them up in his arms and stretched them over to Franklin's room, setting them down. “I'm going to need you two to stay here. I'll activate the security safety, no one will be able to enter.”

“Dad--” Val began, but they could hear Mommy's screams and just like that Daddy was gone.

“Did you see Uncle Johnny?!" Franklin turns to his sister. "Where do you think Uncle Ben is?” he asks with excitment.

“Didn't you see the big hole in the wall?” Val responds dryly, grabbing a bag from underneath her bed.

“Hey, what are you doing?” Franklin trots over to her, “Daddy said we're suppose to stay here.”

“Franklin...” Val puts her hand on his shoulder, “Mommy, won't be able to contain him forever. That's not our Uncle Johnny. At least not anymore.”

Franklin shrugs her off, “No, you're lying. You're lying, Val!!”

Val turns away in silence and deactivates the fail-safe, pulling open a vent from the corner of her room.

“Where are you going?” Franklin asks.

“I'm getting Uncle Doom.” she answers, pulling up her backpack, “Are you coming?”

Franklin stuck up his nose with folded arms, “I don't hang out with liars.”

Valeria smiles and little did Franklin know that it would be the last time he would ever see her sweet little face.

“Good-bye, Franklin” she says before climbing into the small vent and crawling away.

Franklin sits on his bed all alone with his blanket wrapped around him and his hands plastered to his ears, trying to drown out all the screams.

 

Six months ago, Mommy, Daddy and Uncle Ben came home with tears in their eyes. They sat down Franklin and Val and told them Uncle Johnny went away. And when Franklin asked them when he would be back, no one could look him in the eye. Every day since, they were living in a shadow. A dark shadow cast upon them with no explanation. And every night Franklin stayed up, waiting for Uncle Johnny to come home with his messy hair and those red lip stains all over his face and neck, to tuck him into bed like he always did. But Uncle Johnny never came home. Not until today.

 

“Beg me, Sue!!! Beg me for mercy like I begged you!!!” Franklin knew those words were coming from Uncle Johnny's mouth, but it didn't sound like Uncle Johnny's voice.

“Johnny, we didn't have a choice! PLEASE! It doesn't have to be this way!” Mommy screamed.

“Yes, Sue. It does.”

The whole building felt like it was on fire and Mommy's scream echoed beyond Franklin's room.

And then everything was quiet.

 

It was only a matter of seconds before Uncle Johnny arrived, burning down his door.

Standing there with his familiar face, smoke steaming from the edges of his shoulders, besides the blood decorating his costume, Uncle Johnny looked like the man Franklin once knew.

“Uncle Johnny!!” Franklin rushes over to him.

Uncle Johnny leans down on one knee to reach Franklin's level. He had tears in his eyes but spoke with such anger in his voice, “I need you to promise me something, Franklin. Promise me you'll always be a good little boy.”

Franklin wraps his small arms tightly around his Uncle Johnny's neck, “I promise, Uncle Johnny.”

“Good.” Uncle Johnny coldly pries himself free from the boy's arms, “Now tell me, where's Valeria?”

“She went to Doom's castle” Franklin tells him.

“Well, then...” the most devious smile forms across his uncle's handsome face, “...lets go get her.”

Uncle Johnny scoops him up into his warm arms and the whole room went cold, much like Uncle Johnny's heart.

 

The days that followed were dark and lonely. Uncle Johnny didn't do the things he used to do. 

He didn't stand in front of the mirror for hours and hours fussing over his hair, walk around in his fancy clothes singing and smiling, poking fun at Uncle Ben like he always used to. He didn't joke, wrap Franklin up in his warm tight arms, play games with him or take him to the park.

 He mostly just sat in a chair by the window with this look on his face that Franklin has never seen there before. A look Franklin would later identify as a mixture of anger, sadness, determination and deep regret.

Sometimes Franklin would stand near him, but not once would his Uncle Johnny look his way.

 

When Franklin asks him about Mommy and Daddy, Uncle Johnny never tells him and never looks at him, he just sends him to his room. And every night Franklin waits in his bed for his Uncle Johnny to tuck him in, and just like all those months ago, he never does.

 

 

\---Past---

“Hey, midget, why the long face?”

Franklin slumped against Daddy's lab door and kicked at invisible dirt on the floor, “Daddy was suppose to take me to the Museum, but he never came out.”

The look on Uncle Johnny's face could only be described as one of anger and disappointment.

Then he squatted down in front of Franklin with a strong face, “Would you rather go to some lame Museum to see some random boring paintings by a buncha dead guys? Or would you rather take a trip with me downtown to the biggest baddest toy store ever?!!”

By the look upon Franklin's face, Uncle Johnny already knew the answer.

 

“Alright, Frankie,” Uncle Johnny stood tall and looked cool in his sunglasses, swinging his car keys around his finger, “This is probably the biggest toy store in the history of all toy stores, so I don't want you comin' back here with only two things. You better come back here with, like, fifty of 'em.”

Uncle Johnny wasn't just a grown up. Uncle Johnny was the coolest grown up Franklin would probably ever know.

“Alright, you ready? Set. Go!”

After raiding every shelf in the store, Franklin came back with almost every toy he could've possibly have wanted. More toys than Mommy would ever allow him to get. And even then Uncle Johnny still threw random items in the cart. He always told Franklin there was no such thing as too much toys. “No kid can ever have enough.”

When the trunk was filled to capacity, they stuffed all the other toys in the back seat of Uncle Johnny's new, pretty, shiny car. And when they reached home, Uncle Johnny helped him unpack and play with every toy. Even the stupid slinky Franklin didn't want. “Hey, this thing's a classic, okay. When I was growing up, if you had one of these guys, you were the coolest kid on the block.”

 

Later that evening when Franklin was waiting in his bed for his Uncle Johnny to tuck him in, he could hear Mommy yelling about all the toys. “Johnny, he didn't need all of that! He has more than enough!”

By the time Uncle Johnny finally crept into his room, Franklin's head was tucked away, sniffling under the covers. “Hey, what's with all the waterworks, frankfurter?”

“I didn't mean to get you in trouble, Uncle Johnny.”

“Ah, it's not your fault, little guy. Next time we just gotta shove 'em all underneath your bed where your Mom can't find 'em. Now get up here before I call the tickle monster.”

Warm fingertips tickle his tummy and Franklin, all giggles, erects his head from beneath his blanket, greeted by his uncle's bright, reassuring smile.

Uncle Johnny tucks him in just the way he likes it, before trying to squeeze himself beside him. “Hey, scoot over, small stuff. Quit hoggin' the bed.”

Franklin squirms over some before resting his head on his uncle's warm, strong chest, that rose and expanded and fell with every gradual intake and exhale of breath. 

“Hey, Uncle Johnny?”

“Mhm.”

“Did you and Mommy have lots of toys when you guys were little?”

Uncle Johnny was quiet for a moment, and then, “Not really.”

Franklin looks up, “Did that make you sad?”

Uncle Johnny's warm fingers swiped the hair out of his nephew's eyes, “Mmmm, maybe sometimes. But that doesn't matter. Did you get all the toys you wanted today?”

Franklin's heavy head drops down onto his uncle's chest, where it laid previously, “Yeah.”

He could feel Uncle Johnny's warm hand rubbing small, comforting, circles on his back, “And that's all that really matters, Frankie.”

 

 

\---Present---

It would be days before Uncle Johnny would come see him. He wakes him in the middle of the night to tell him he's leaving.

Franklin sits up in his bed, rubbing the tiredness from his eyes, “Where are you going, Uncle Johnny?”

Uncle Johnny sat at the edge of his bed with cold, distant eyes, “Latveria,” was all he said.

He left his bedside and Franklin chased after him, “Uncle Johnny, you can't! What if you never come home?”

Uncle Johnny kneels down before his nephew, wiping the tears from his bright, hopeful, blue eyes, “Franklin, I'm so much more powerful than I ever was. No one can hurt me.”

And, just like he used to, Uncle Johnny ruffled his hair. “Be a good little boy while I'm gone,” and left through the same hole in the wall Uncle Ben fell through.

And that was the first time Franklin realized that, just like Mommy and Daddy, Uncle Ben never came home.

 

Since the day Uncle Johnny left for Latveria, Franklin couldn't sleep. During the day he would color in his coloring book and eat the crackers and peanut butter from the cupboard. And at night he would lay in the dark for hours upon hours worried about Uncle Johnny. He was afraid he would never come home and he would be left all alone forever. Then sometimes he would think about Mommy and Daddy and Val. And he would miss them so much. Some nights he would climb into Mommy and Daddy's bed and cry himself to sleep.

Still waiting for them to come home.

 

 

\---Past---

 Even from his earliest memories, Franklin could always recall Uncle Johnny bringing him home gifts. Sometimes it was a souvenir from his last battle or the newest, coolest toy that wasn't even released yet. And sometimes it was something bigger.

Uncle Johnny always came to him with this smile of mischief and a huge bag of candy whenever he brought something special for him.

 

“Okay, only one hint. It's in this room and it may or may not be a puppy. Okay, that was two hints. And that's all ya gettin'”

“Uncle Johnny, you got me a puppy?” Franklin had squealed.

“Hey, I never said I did. Don't jump to conclusions here, kiddo.”

Uncle Johnny wore that smile that always gave himself away and Franklin jumped and ran with excitement when he heard a small whimper coming from Uncle Johnny's big closet.

Franklin sat on the floor with a small dog trampling him, licking his face all over, “You did! You did get me a puppy, Uncle Johnny!”

Leaning by the doorway, Uncle Johnny looked just the way Daddy did whenever Val would outsmart him. He looked proud. “Yeah, would you look at that?”

 

It was the cutest puppy Franklin had ever seen and he would be able to keep it for one whole day before Mommy and Daddy would make Uncle Johnny send it back. “A dog is a big responsibility and he's too young, Johnny. We're a family, you need to talk to us about these things.” Mommy had scolded. And then Mommy said something that would make Uncle Johnny so mad, Franklin wouldn't see him for awhile. It made him so sad that Daddy promised him he would build him his own puppy, but much like all of Daddy's other promises, Franklin knew it would never come to fruition.

 

Then one morning Uncle Johnny came home with a huge smile, swinging his keys like he always did when he wanted to take Franklin out for a joyride. “So, I heard you're still bummed out about your little puppy.”

Once tucked away safely in his Spider-Man car seat, Uncle Johnny always went past the speed limit.

And he would sing and sing the whole way and pout when Franklin wouldn't sing along, “C'mon, buddy, don't leave me hangin' here.”

When Uncle Johnny finally turned off the engine and unstrapped him from his car seat, Franklin was standing in a big park. And puppies were everywhere.

“Uncle Johnny! Look! Look at all of these puppies!”

Uncle Johnny snuggled up to one of the ladies on the bench, “Hey, don't wander off too far and be careful not to step in dog shi-- I mean poop.”

 

Franklin was the happiest he had ever been. Uncle Johnny took him to a place where he could be with all the puppies in the world and it was the greatest gift Uncle Johnny has ever given him.

 

 

\---Present---

It would be weeks but eventually Uncle Johnny returned and with him he brought devastation.

He came back through the hole of which he left in, this time with a limp, a battered face, and almost nothing left of his costume.

He called to Franklin who came running up to him with excitement, “Uncle Johnny! You're back!”

“Of course I am.” Uncle Johnny said frigidly, limping over to the chair he always sat in by the window. “C'mere, I have a present for you.”

 

Franklin knew his Uncle Johnny was made of fire, but it seemed that every time he was near him everything turned to ice. As if he was sucking all the warmth out of the air.

“It's the only thing left of Latveria” Uncle Johnny tells him, placing Doom's mask in his hands. But Franklin didn't know what that meant.

Then Franklin asked about Val and Uncle Johnny's face went sour. He sent him to his room and didn't speak to him for days.

Some lonely nights later Uncle Johnny came into his room and told him, “Franklin, Valeria wasn't a very good girl.”

And Franklin didn't know what that meant either.

 

 

\---Past---

When Franklin was much smaller there was a day the Baxter Building laid in shambles. Mommy and Daddy doesn't know he remembers, but he does. He could never forget the look on Mommy's face when she fell to her knees screaming for Valeria.

Franklin hid in the corner watching as Mommy and Daddy couldn't fight their tears and Uncle Ben punched a big hole in the wall and ran away.

He would ask but the gown ups were keeping secrets from him and Valeria didn't come home that night.

When Uncle Johnny came to tuck Franklin in some nights later, he didn't have that look in his eyes like he always did. That little glimmer of merriment and jollity was replaced with something else. Something Franklin couldn't quite pin-point. But he had an inkling it was because of whatever happened to Valeria.

And when Franklin asked Uncle Johnny what happened to baby Val, he didn't say the things Mommy and Daddy would tell him. Instead he turned his back and hid his face.

Because Uncle Johnny wasn't a liar.

Uncle Johnny was a superhero.

And superheroes didn't cry.

 

 

\--Present---

Franklin didn't know it was possible, but somehow he feels even more lonely when he's in the presence of Uncle Johnny. The air always feels so cold and Uncle Johnny never says a word to him. But for some reason, little Franklin always wanted to be by his side.

 

“They're coming,” Uncle Johnny says one day, slumped in his chair.

From the ground by Uncle Johnny's feet, Franklin's eyes flutter in surprise of his uncle's acknowledgment of his presence.

“Who?” he asks in a small voice, but Uncle Johnny doesn't look at him. He just blankly stares out the window. Like he always does.

“Them,” Uncle Johnny says as Iron Man flies by.

Like most things Uncle Johnny says now, Franklin didn't understand. “But they're good guys. Like Mommy, Daddy, and Uncle Ben.”

For the first time since he came back, Uncle Johnny searched out Franklin's eyes. And he laughed. It wasn't the old jovial, carefree Uncle Johnny laugh he remembered. It was an evil, mocking laugh that made Franklin want to cry.

Then his voice was so loud, it rumbled in Franklin's throat. “Ben?! Your parents?! They're not heroes, Franklin!”

Suddenly Uncle Johnny's voice cracked and his eyes broke contact, his words becoming a whisper. “Heroes wouldn't do what they did to me.”

When Franklin asked what he had meant by that, Uncle Johnny did what he always did, he sent him to his room.

And if he was really quiet, and listened closely he could hear Uncle Johnny's cries.

 

Two days later Franklin ran out of pages to color in his coloring book and Uncle Johnny said he could color on the walls. He drew pictures of all sorts of things. His favorite color to use was blue because it was the color of Daddy's costume. One time he drew a nice picture of a car and asked Uncle Johnny if he liked it, but he never looked.

Sometimes, at night in his room, he would draw pictures of himself, Auntie Alicia, Uncle Ben, Mommy, Daddy and Val.

But he never drew pictures of Uncle Johnny.

 

 

\---Past---

One day Franklin will be just as good with his words as Uncle Johnny is.

That time he was able to convince his teacher to let him have ten more minutes of nap time, he was pretty sure he'd picked up a few good skills from watching his Uncle Johnny talk himself out of all those speeding tickets.

And when Uncle Johnny was able to talk the pretty lady into opening up the carnival for them even though it was closed, it seemed like, and Franklin was almost sure, Uncle Johnny could talk himself into and out of almost anything.

 

Franklin would study him closely. Whenever he was around one of his lady friends, Uncle Johnny always put on this face and wore this strange, endearing smile that Franklin had only seen one other time before when he had found Uncle Johnny on the cover of a magazine. And his voice was always so alluring to all of the pretty ladies with red lipstick.

 

One day when Mommy, Daddy and Uncle Ben weren't home and it was just him, Val and Uncle Johnny, his uncle came to his room and told him not to leave. When Franklin giggled without understandment, Uncle Johnny pointed his finger and cracked a playful smile, “Be a good little boy for me, alright?”

Franklin waited a short while before sneaking out of his room to see what his uncle was up to. He tip-toed to Uncle Johnny's room, but the door was closed. “Uncle Johnny?” He whispered, “Are you in there?”

There was no answer and so he pushed his tiny ear up against the door and he could hear two ladies tittering, “We'll do anything you want.”

And then Uncle Johnny's voice responds in the most mischievous manner, “Really? Anything?”

 

Uncle Johnny could have anything he wanted and some day Franklin knows he will be just as good with his words as Uncle Johnny is.

 

 

\---Present---

Weeks later, when Spider-Man climbs through the hole uninvited, Uncle Johnny's standing up with his arms at his back, staring out the window as if he was waiting. Franklin's come to notice that, be it standing or seated, Uncle Johnny's always facing the window with a lost, vacant gaze.

“Franklin. Be a good little boy and go to your room” Uncle Johnny orders him, and Franklin drops his blue crayons and trots away.

“Johnny,” Spider-Man's voice reaches his tiny ears, “What happened? What did you do to Latveria? Where's the rest of the FF?”

“Peter, get out of here. I'm warning you.” Uncle Johnny's voice sounds angry as usual.

“Johnny, talk to me--”

“I don't want to talk to you!”

"Let me help, Johnny."

"I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP!" Uncle Johnny shouts so loudly it frightens little Franklin, who rushes into his room and shuts the door behind him.

He hides under his blanket and covers his ears, but he can still hear Uncle Johnny's shouts.

“Get out! Get out of here! Leave me alone!” As his voice gets louder and louder, Franklin's room gets hotter and hotter.

And Franklin shuts his eyes and cries, waiting for it all to be over.

 

By the time Uncle Johnny stopped shouting and the air went cold again, Franklin was too scared to leave his room. He clutched onto his blanket, telling himself Val was a liar. That was his Uncle Johnny and he would never ever hurt Spider-Man. Franklin had to prove her wrong.

He fought his fears and left his room only to find Uncle Johnny sitting at his chair, staring out the window with glassy eyes.

His pale hands clutching onto Spider-Man's tattered mask.

 

Franklin can still remember when Uncle Johnny would look at him with eyes that were once so bright, but now looking into his eyes all Franklin sees is darkness. And for the first time, Franklin wondered why Uncle Johnny was doing this.

 

 

\---Past---

Whenever Franklin wakes up in the middle of the night screaming from an awful nightmare, Uncle Johnny's warm lips against his cool forehead was the only thing that could calm him down. “Shhhh. Shhh. It's okay, Frankie. I'm right here. I'm right here. It's okay.”

 

The thunder cracking outside made his little heart thud hard in his chest. “Uncle Johnny...” he would cry, knowing he would be swooped up into a warm embrace and Uncle Johnny would cradle him just like he always used to when he was just a baby.

And when the rain wouldn't stop and the lightening struck brighter and thunder cracked louder, Uncle Johnny would sing him his favorite lullaby, which Franklin liked to call the 'Spider-Man song.'

 

“The itsy-bitsy spider climbed up the water spout.”

Uncle Johnny's voice was always so soothing whenever Franklin needed it to be.

 

“Down came the rain and washed the spider out.”

Even when Franklin shut his eyes Uncle Johnny would never stop cradling him like Mommy and Daddy used to. He only pulls him closer and hugs him tighter.

 

“Out came the sun and dried up all the rain. And the itsy-bitsy spider climbed up the spout again.”

 

 

\---Present---

Since Spider-Man's visit, Uncle Johnny never spoke a single word and Franklin no longer stayed by his side. He sought sanctuary in his room where he'd spend much of his days drawing pictures of Mommy, Daddy, and Val in red crayon after he had used up all the blue ones. And most nights he'd curl up in a little ball and cry himself to sleep because Val was right.

This wasn't his Uncle Johnny.

And Mommy and Daddy were never coming home.

 

 

\---Past---

Christmas time was always the best time of year and Uncle Johnny always bought him the best presents. Even better presents than Santa.

 

“Uncle Johnny what's in it?” Franklin shakes the box, the shiny wrapping paper crinkling under his fingers.

Over from the couch, Uncle Johnny sips his hot cocoa and flashes him the biggest and brightest Uncle Johnny smile he had ever seen. “I don't know, open it.”

Franklin's small fingers go to work, tearing off every last piece of the shiny silver paper, revealing the next generation video game console that wouldn't hit shelves until next spring.

Franklin beams with wide blue eyes, accompanied with a high pitched shriek, “Uncle Johnny!”

Uncle Johnny sits smug, exhilarated by the toddler's excitement, “Ya like it, bud?”

Franklin jumps into his lap with a tight, unrelenting grip around his neck, “It's the bestest present in the whole wide world!”

And even Uncle Johnny missed the look of dismay upon Daddy's face when he sees his Christmas gift sitting among all the other unboxed toys cluttered around the Christmas tree.

 

 

\---Present---

Franklin was in his room eating the last packet of crackers when Uncle Johnny came to him.

His eyes were dark and his voice was scary, “I need you to stay here, Franklin, do you hear me? Promise me, Franklin,” Uncle Johnny shook him, “Promise me you'll be a good little boy.”

“I—I promise, Uncle Johnny.” Franklin manages to say, and Uncle Johnny left his room, slamming the door behind him.

 

Sitting in his room all alone, Franklin knew one thing. Uncle Johnny was angry and he was going to make the whole world burn.

 

 

\---Past---

The day before Uncle Johnny never came home again, Mommy and Daddy were arguing all day and even Uncle Johnny didn't know what it was about. They wouldn't tell him.

 

That night when Uncle Johnny came to his room in costume, Franklin knew something was wrong.

“It's bedtime, where are you going, Uncle Johnny?”

Uncle Johnny sat by his bed, offering a weak smile, “We're just gonna go take care of something real quick. Don't worry, Frankie.”

Uncle Johnny was trying to tuck him in but Franklin was restless, “Are you going to come home, Uncle Johnny?”

His uncle stopped and chuckled, ruffling the boy's hair, “Of course I will. I'll always come home to you, buddy.”

He kissed the child's forehead with his warm, comforting lips, and tucked him in just the way he'd done countless of times before. “Be a good little boy while I'm gone, okay?”

Uncle Johnny's sad voice made him shiver under his blanket,“Uncle Johnny, I'm scared.”

Franklin cried and Uncle Johnny was there to wipe his tears away like he always did, “Don't worry, Frankie, I'll come home. Always.”

Once he left his bedside, Franklin wanted to chase after his Uncle Johnny. He wanted him to wrap him up in his warm arms and never let him go.

Franklin jumped up from his pillow, “You promise?”

Uncle Johnny paused by his doorway, his hushed voice carrying into the night, “I promise.”

And Franklin believed him.

Because Uncle Johnny never breaks his promises.

 

 

\---Present---

Franklin could hear helicopters outside. He runs over to his window and he sees his uncle in the air with all of the Avengers surrounding him. And then Uncle Johnny's shouting, getting brighter and hotter as all the Avengers run.

Franklin shields his eyes and slips underneath his bed just in time before his window could explode in his face.

“Uncle Johnny!” he cried out, running to the elevator and outside the building. The air smelled of burned flesh and bodies covered the streets. Franklin hid behind a mailbox and cried for his Uncle Johnny.

He could see Iron Man trying to blast him with one of his hand beams, but Uncle Johnny was too fast for him. Then Captain America's shield came and hit Uncle Johnny in the back of the head and he fell to the ground, shouting in pain.

Franklin could hear the Avengers telling him to surrender, but Uncle Johnny wouldn't give up. He rose up high and was getting hotter and brighter just like before and Franklin was getting scared again.

“Uncle Johnny!!” Franklin shouts, grabbing his attention, giving Wolverine just enough time to jump off from a nearby building and tackle him to the ground.

 

“No!!” Franklin runs over to his Uncle Johnny as fast as his little legs could take him, only to find him laying in rubble with three holes in each lung.

 

Franklin sits beside him and he can here his Uncle Johnny struggling to breathe.

“I...told...you..to-to...to stay inside...F-Frank...lin,” he says between short breaths. “You...pro-promised.”

Uncle Johnny coughed up blood and Franklin met his eyes and, for the first time in a long time, he didn't see bitterness. It was only then that Franklin realized Uncle Johnny's eyes never showed anger. Only sadness.

Why was Uncle Johnny always so sad?

 

 

_\---Six Months Ago---_

Reed Richards was at the roof of the Baxter Building tinkering with one of his non-functioning machines, a condition of rarity, when the Silver Surfer summoned his attention. He wore an alien face of despair as the messenger of bad news.

Upon notification Reed was shocked to learn of Galactus' soon inevitable demise, sourced by a lack of energy, and was quick to offer his condolences, out of respect, in the form of aid. “I'm sorry to hear of it,” he says with furrowed brows, disguising his exhilaration, “If there is anything I can do--”

“Actually, Richards, that is why I am here,” the cosmic being announced in his hard-edged, monotonous voice.

Reed stiffened, dropping his tools, “I—I do not understand. How can I possibly be of any assistance?”

 

“My Master's energy is depleting. He is desperate, explored all other planetary life forms. If you wish to save your people, the earth will not stand without a sacrifice.”

 

It wasn't with a second thought that Reed offered himself as tribute, supplicating for mercy, “Please, all I ask is that you leave the earth and my family unharmed.”

 

“It is not you of which I speak of, Richards. Great energy is desired from a particular individual with a capacity of substantial measurement.” The Surfer's temperament remained steady, “The man of fire.”

Reed was almost certain his heart skipped a beat, “No. No! There has to be another way!”

 

“There is nothing else of acceptance.”

 

Reed could see his own reflection in the mirrored chest of the great herald, and what he saw peering back at him was a tiresome man in questionable pursuit of requisite morality.

“Time is of the essence, Richards.”

 

Mentioning it to Susan would be futile, especially when he, himself, wouldn't even entertain the idea. And so Reed locked himself away in his lab, searching for the proper logarithm, and exhausted every single equation, but the numbers never added up.

It was sooner than later when frustration would get the better of him. He was Reed Richards, the smartest man in the world, need he remind himself of that? This was unacceptable. He has saved the world approximately three thousand two hundred and forty-two times, not counting other worlds outside of his galaxy of course. He was no failure. So, surely he could figure this out. All he needed was time. Time to think.

But time was quickly running out.

When no other solution presented itself within the next hour, he had to tell the others.

 

He knew she wouldn't be rational and neither was Ben, who, out of rage, made an awful mess of Reed's lab.

“Reed, he's my brother,” Susan pleaded with an obvious statement that only made Reed's intestines twist and curdle with contrition.

 

“Eight billion people's lives hang in the balance, not to mention our children's. Susan, what are we to _do_?”

 

Susan cried her tear ducts dry in the arms of her husband and before the world went dark, Reed had made his decision.

 

All four members gathered atop the roof, three souls fearful of what awaits and one innocent soul oblivious to his fate.

“So, where are we headed? By the look on your faces, I'm guessing this is pretty bad.”

Reed made certain Johnny wasn't informed of the severity or exact circumstances of their supposed 'mission.' Only for the sake of his well being.

“Uh, guys? Hello?”

Harsh winds whipped their hair about as dark clouds set above, while they waited in silence with lost voices. Three pairs of tearful eyes shifted in compunction, never meeting his gaze. And every question Johnny asked went unanswered.

 

“Johnny, put these on,” Reed finally tells him, handing over a device Johnny had never seen before.

With trust and without hesitation, he follows his brother-in-law's orders clasping the device around each wrist, “Reed, what do these things do?”

 

Reed's face droops with utter sadness and his voice was so cold, it was haunting, “It's a temporary power neutralizer.”

The device activates drawing his wrists together, and no matter how hard Johnny pulled for separation and tried to set himself ablaze, he simply couldn't.

“Reed, what is this thing? What are you doing?!” he panics.

 

Reed, like the remaining members of his team, was silent during his struggle.

“Sue!! What's going on? Sue, don't let him do this to me!!” Johnny begged, the thick accumulation of tears blurring his line of vision.

“I love you, Johnny. Believe me when I tell you we had no other--” Susan broke down into her husband's arms, unable to finish her sentence.

“Ben!! Ben!! I'm sorry, whatever I did, I promise I won't do it again!! Ben, please!”

Regardless of how loud he shouted and how much he begged, Ben would never look his way. He only glared at Reed with resentment, but did nothing.

“Why are you guys doing this to me?” he cried with hot tears that never ceased to torrent down his cheeks, the truth finally setting in.

Behind him the Silver Surfer appears with his grim, startling voice, “It is time.”

 

Johnny Storm made the final plea for his life as the Surfer grabbed him by the throat with brute force, “Ben!! Sue!!!! Please, don't---”

 

For a moment, it felt like the world stood still as the winds shifted and the air turned cold. They questioned their own actions and held tightly to whatever humanity they had left, knowing the pain and guilt in their hearts and souls would never dwindle.

 

As the Silver Surfer ascends to the skies, Susan's cries were almost loud enough to drown out her brother's screams. Ben walked away while Reed looked down in shame, “I'm sorry, Johnny. Please. Please forgive us.”

 

 

_\---Present Time---_

“I'm sorry, Uncle Johnny.” Franklin cries out as tears stain his soft, rosy cheeks. “I wasn't a very good little boy,” he sniffled.

Uncle Johnny's warm hand reaches up to caress the small boy's cheeks, thumbing away his tears, “Don't... say that...Frankie.”

A small tear seeps out of the corner of Uncle Johnny's eye as he bares his bloodied teeth, flashing his nephew that old Uncle Johnny smile, just like he always used to, and Franklin could feel his tiny, little, delicate heart break into a million pieces.

The fire in Uncle Johnny's eyes were growing darker by every passing second and Franklin knew the moment that light faded completely, his entire world would go dark.

 

“No, Uncle Johnny!! You promised! You have to come home, Uncle Johnny! You have to!” He pulled his uncle's arm with all his might, but he didn't budge. Franklin gave up, collapsing into a sob, whimpering, “You promised.”

Then Uncle Johnny closes his eyes and Franklin catches his hand as it slips from his face.

 

Uncle Johnny broke his promise.

 

And for the first time, just like the rest of the world, Uncle Johnny's hand went cold.

 

 

 

 


End file.
